Measuring what matters in the Energy Sustainable Development Goals

The SDG discussions have recognised that access to sustainable energy is crucial for many areas of development as well as for addressing climate change. Billions of people worldwide still do not have the energy services they need to lift them out of poverty and build sustainable development.

Proposed SDG 7 aims to close this energy gap and “ensure access to affordable, sustainable, reliable, and modern energy services for all”, with targets on universal access to energy, increasing the share of renewables in the global energy mix and doubling the annual rate of improvement in energy intensity.

However, these targets must be sufficiently ambitious to bring about meaningful change and their indicators must be robust and fit for purpose. In other words, they must “measure what matters” and ensure that progress can be tracked through clear milestones. […]